B is for the Biomass

Ja –El: I think you are missing a bit of info being out of the US. Most Gas sold in the US is roughly 5-10% ethanol as we speak. All California gas is sold with ethanol now. It is used as a smog emissions additive to replace MTBE for environmental reasons. Ethanol production has been growing like gang busters and is having a issues keeping up with demand as state laws have been slowly bringing the requirements into enforcement. Plants are poking up everywhere while the number of gasoline refineries has not increased in decades. Greater than 10% ethanol usage requires a special engine modification, called E85 or 85% ethanol, 15% gasoline. Some manufactures have been producing these vehicles in anticipation of expanded ethanol % usage in the future. Now many SIGs have been pushing the use of ethanol as a replacement of gasoline and foreign oil dependency. This is where the program goes off on the idiot stage. SIG research claims the production produces a positive energy output, but there is no real way to tell for sure. If it is that hazy, it just seems unlikely to be efficient enough.

Diesel is nasty. Unless they severely restrict the emissions standards (Particularly diesel’s sulfur content and particulate matter output), this is not changing. Plus it smells like shit. Although not as bad as the painter I had to escort up to a tenant floor. Foul that man was.

D>M>